Mises à jour sur le coronavirus en Californie : le comté de Yolo passe au niveau orange pour la première fois à partir de mercredi

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Mardi 23 mars

17 h 45 : Certains districts scolaires de la région de Sacramento ne sautent pas pour adopter les nouvelles directives du CDC

Les écoles californiennes pourraient bientôt permettre à encore plus d'étudiants de revenir sur le campus en suivant les nouvelles directives des Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mais tous les districts de la région de Sacramento ne font pas encore le changement.

Les nouvelles directives du CDC minimisent la distance sociale des élèves du primaire, leur permettant de s'asseoir à 3 pieds au lieu de 6, à condition que les élèves et les enseignants portent des masques à tout moment.

Cette norme de distance s'applique également aux collèges et lycées, sauf dans les comtés où les taux d'infection au COVID-19 sont élevés et dans les écoles qui ne séparent pas les enfants en cohortes.

Samedi, le département de la santé de Californie a modifié ses propres directives pour refléter celles des CDC. Mais peu de districts locaux sautent sur l'occasion de faire le changement.

Jusqu'à présent, Natomas Unified a annoncé que les étudiants auront la possibilité de retourner sur le campus cinq jours par semaine à partir du 12 avril. Pendant ce temps, d'autres comme Elk Grove Unified - le plus grand district scolaire du nord de la Californie - attendront de voir comment les plans actuels se déroulent pendant qu'il considère les changements possibles.

17 h 42 : L'écart de revenu pour l'accès au vaccin COVID-19 persiste

L’objectif de la Californie de rendre la distribution des vaccins plus équitable est toujours en cours. Mais alors que l'État s'est engagé à réserver 40% des doses aux communautés à faible revenu, un écart persiste.

Dans le comté de Sacramento, plus de 500 000 doses du vaccin COVID-19 ont été administrées. Mais près de 60% de ceux-ci sont allés à des résidents blancs, malgré ce groupe démographique représentant moins de la moitié de la population du comté.

Les données rapportées par Sacramento sont limitées et ne reflètent pas le nombre de coups de feu dans les bras de résidents à faible revenu. Cependant, en Californie, le département de la santé rapporte que 19% de tous les vaccins administrés sont allés à des personnes vivant dans les communautés les plus durement touchées par la pandémie.

En revanche, 30% de l’approvisionnement en vaccins est allé à ceux des communautés aux revenus les plus élevés de l’État.

Les responsables de la santé de Sacramento ont déclaré qu'ils travaillaient à une plus grande équité en matière de vaccins. Dans les semaines à venir, le comté lancera un troisième site de vaccination de masse - cette fois, dans le sud de Sacramento, le quartier avec le plus grand nombre de cas de COVID-19.

15 h 35 : Le comté de Yolo passe au niveau orange pour la première fois à partir de mercredi

Le ministère de la Santé publique de Californie a annoncé mardi que le comté de Yolo passerait au niveau «modéré» ou orange du système de réouverture COVID-19 de l'État.

De nombreuses entreprises comme les parcs d'attractions, les salles de jeux et les pistes de bowling peuvent rouvrir avec certaines restrictions. Sous le niveau rouge, les restaurants et les cinémas pourront rouvrir à l'intérieur à une capacité de 25%, tandis que les gymnases pourront rouvrir à l'intérieur à une capacité de 10%. Les musées peuvent également reprendre leurs activités intérieures à une capacité de 25%.

Après le 1er avril, les événements en direct en plein air avec des sièges attribués peuvent avoir jusqu'à 33% d'occupation maximum. Les travailleurs seront testés chaque semaine et seuls les visiteurs de l'État sont autorisés. Des choses comme les stands de concession seraient fermées et les achats ne pourraient être effectués qu'au siège.

«Passer au niveau orange pour la première fois représente un progrès considérable dans le contrôle du virus qui cause le COVID-19. Nous courons le risque d'annuler nos progrès durement gagnés si nous baissons notre garde », a déclaré le Dr Aimee Sisson, responsable de la santé du comté de Yolo. «Alors que de plus en plus d'entreprises élargissent leur capacité intérieure, il est important que nous continuions à porter des masques, que nous restions distants de 1,80 mètre et que nous ne nous rassemblions pas avec des membres non membres du ménage afin de maintenir nos taux de cas de COVID-19 bas.»

Le comté de Yolo est entré dans le niveau «substantiel» ou rouge le 24 février et a atteint les repères mis en place par le CDPH pour passer au niveau orange cette semaine.

Yolo n'est pas le seul comté à avoir changé de niveau. Neuf autres passent du «répandu» ou du violet au rouge, comme Kern, Nevada et Stanislaus. Les comtés passant du rouge à l'orange comprennent Lassen, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Trinity et Yolo.

Aucun comté n'est passé à un niveau plus restrictif. Seuls huit comtés restent dans le niveau violet, 39 sont maintenant dans le niveau rouge, neuf sont dans le niveau orange et deux sont passés au niveau «minimal» ou jaune.

11 h 20 : Problèmes de rapport sur le site Web du chômage en Californie

Les problèmes ont entraîné des retards pour certaines personnes qui tentaient de certifier leur admissibilité à continuer de recevoir des chèques. Les personnes qui perçoivent des allocations de chômage doivent certifier leur admissibilité toutes les deux semaines en se connectant au site Web, en répondant à une série de questions par oui ou par non et à d'autres tâches sur quelques pages différentes sur lesquelles les utilisateurs doivent cliquer.

Un communiqué du département a déclaré que certaines personnes avaient commencé à signaler des problèmes à partir de dimanche. Le ministère dit que les personnes qui ne sont pas en mesure de certifier leur admissibilité devraient réessayer un peu plus tard.

La perturbation a provoqué la colère de certains législateurs républicains, le député Jim Patterson ayant déclaré qu'il demanderait un rapport complet sur le problème.

10 h 26 : les résultats du vaccin AstraZeneca COVID-19 peuvent contenir des «informations obsolètes»

Les responsables fédéraux de la santé américains affirment que les résultats d'un essai américain du vaccin COVID-19 d'AstraZeneca peuvent avoir inclus des «informations obsolètes», ce qui peut signifier que la société a fourni une vue incomplète des données d'efficacité.

Le géant pharmaceutique multinational a déclaré qu'une analyse préliminaire des données qui ont continué à affluer était conforme à ce qu'il avait déjà rapporté. AstraZeneca a également rapporté lundi que son vaccin COVID-19 offrait une forte protection aux adultes de tous âges dans une étude américaine que certains espéraient aider à rétablir la confiance dans le vaccin.

10 h 21 : Les factures de services publics accablent certains ménages américains

Des millions de ménages américains sont confrontés à de lourdes factures de services publics en souffrance, qui ont toutes augmenté au cours de l'année depuis que la pandémie a forcé les Américains à se recroqueviller chez eux, ce qui a amené les familles à consommer plus d'électricité.

les moratoires du gouvernement qui ont empêché les entreprises de services publics pendant des mois de couper l'alimentation des clients en retard dans leurs paiements commencent à expirer dans la plupart des États.

Le moratoire de la Californie devrait prendre fin d'ici la fin du mois de juin.

En raison de la fin imminente des programmes de moratoire sur les factures, environ 37 millions de clients - représentant près d'un tiers de tous les ménages du pays - devront bientôt tenir compte de leurs factures d'électricité en souffrance à un moment où beaucoup d'entre eux sont toujours aux prises avec des problèmes. emploi ou revenu perdu.

Lundi 22 mars

18 h 50 : Les travailleurs californiens peuvent désormais prendre plus de temps de maladie pour des problèmes liés à la pandémie

Des millions de travailleurs californiens peuvent désormais prendre plus de congés de maladie payés pour des problèmes liés à la pandémie, en vertu d'un projet de loi signé par le gouverneur Gavin Newsom.

La nouvelle loi oblige les entreprises de 25 salariés ou plus à accorder à leurs travailleurs jusqu'à deux semaines de congé de maladie supplémentaire payé. Les employés peuvent utiliser ce temps de maladie pour mettre en quarantaine, planifier un vaccin, prendre soin d'un membre de la famille malade ou prendre soin d'un enfant dont l'école ou la garderie est fermée.

Les syndicats de travailleurs ont applaudi la mesure, mais les groupes d’entreprises et de nombreux républicains ont fait valoir qu’elle était trop onéreuse pour les entreprises déjà en difficulté.

Le sénateur de l'État démocratique, Dave Min d'Irvine, se dit favorable à ces entreprises, mais «d'un autre côté, c'est une bonne politique. Nous ne voulons pas que les travailleurs malades arrivent au travail ou soient confrontés à cette décision difficile entre manquer un chèque de paie ou perdre leur emploi. "

Les entreprises seront remboursées au moyen d'un crédit d'impôt fédéral sur la masse salariale.

La mesure est rétroactive, de sorte que les entreprises devront peut-être payer les travailleurs pour les congés de maladie déjà pris cette année.

18h20 : Curative prend possession du site de vaccination de Cal Expo

Le site de vaccination au volant de Cal Expo à Sacramento passera de la gestion de la santé publique du comté de Sacramento à son partenaire, Curative.

Curative prendra le relais d'ici le 19 avril et ne fournira que des secondes doses.

Le comté suspend temporairement les vaccinations sur le site, puis d'autres partenaires fournisseurs du comté interviendront pour terminer la série de premières doses jusqu'à la mi-avril.

Avec l'approvisionnement hebdomadaire actuel en vaccins qui est attendu, la capacité de Cal Expo sous curatif sera la même avec 3 500 premières doses et l'ajout de 3 500 secondes après environ trois semaines. Lorsque l'offre hebdomadaire augmente, il sera possible d'augmenter le nombre de vaccinations sur le site.

18 h 19 : Les Nevadans peuvent maintenant voir qui a influencé les législateurs en session législative

La législature du Nevada est toujours fermée au grand public en raison des préoccupations concernant le COVID-19. Mais ces restrictions ont également empêché l'État de suivre les activités de lobbying. Maintenant, après plus d’un mois et demi, les Nevadans pourront enfin voir qui a influencé les législateurs au cours de la session législative en cours.

En général, l'État publie une base de données des lobbyistes - avec les intérêts qu'ils représentent - en ligne. Mais les mesures de sécurité en cas de pandémie les empêchaient d'être enregistrés parce que l'ancienne définition d'un lobbyiste se limitait à quelqu'un qui comparaissait en personne.

Le changement intervient après que le gouverneur Steve Sisolak a signé la loi AB110 jeudi.

La nouvelle définition inclut toute personne qui communique directement avec un législateur au nom de toute autre personne, à quelques exceptions près.

15 h 39 : Certains restaurants et entreprises de Sacramento Midtown veulent garder leurs rues fermées

Alors que les restaurants de Sacramento passent à nouveau à des places assises à l'intérieur, certaines entreprises du centre-ville de la ville ne sont pas tout à fait prêtes à abandonner les espaces extérieurs qui ont surgi pendant la pandémie.

Les repas en plein air sont devenus une nécessité en raison de la pandémie de coronavirus. Au cours de la dernière année, deux blocs de rues près des rues 20e et K, ainsi que les rues autour du Capitole et de la 18e rue, ont été fermés à la circulation des véhicules pour accueillir les repas en plein air.

Maintenant que les choses s'ouvrent, certains restaurants veulent vraiment conserver leur configuration extérieure et continuer les fermetures de rues indéfiniment, selon Emily Baime Michaels de la Sacramento Midtown Association.

«Quand nous pensons aux villes que nous aimons partout dans le monde, nous pensons à ces expériences culinaires dans les ruelles», a déclaré Michaels. "Nous pensons être dans des patios qui débordent dans les rues, et Sacramento a eu un avant-goût de cela, et je ne nous vois pas comme étant prêts à abandonner cela."

Les responsables de la ville de Sacramento disent que les membres du conseil devraient approuver une fermeture permanente de rue parce que des choses comme l'équité et l'accès d'urgence devraient être prises en compte. Cependant, le conseil a prolongé une politique pour faciliter l'installation de places assises sur les places de stationnement dans la rue pour les entreprises.

14 h 55 : Les résidents du comté de Placer peuvent demander une aide à la location

Le comté de Placer accepte les demandes d'aide à la location d'urgence jusqu'au 30 avril.

Les ménages éligibles au revenu incapables de payer le loyer et les services publics à cause du COVID-19 sont encouragés à commencer le processus de demande maintenant. Le programme fournit une aide financière aux locataires du comté éligibles pour éviter l'instabilité du logement ou l'expulsion potentielle en raison de difficultés financières liées au COVID-19.

Ceux qui sont admissibles peuvent recevoir une aide financière pour le loyer impayé ou les services publics datant de mars 2020. Une aide supplémentaire pour le loyer actuel ou futur ou les factures de services publics peut également être disponible. Une nouvelle demande est requise pour les ménages si une aide financière supplémentaire est nécessaire.

Le programme paie directement les propriétaires et les fournisseurs de services publics.

«De nombreux habitants du comté de Placer ont du mal à rattraper le loyer impayé ou les services publics», a déclaré Amanda Sharp, directrice adjointe de la santé et des services sociaux du comté de Placer. «Ce programme peut les aider à améliorer leurs conditions de vie, à stabiliser leur logement et à accroître leur tranquillité d’esprit.»

Les ménages intéressés à postuler au programme doivent avoir un revenu égal ou inférieur à 80% du revenu médian régional, allant de 48 350 $ à 91 150 $ selon la taille du ménage.

Les candidats éligibles qui sont au chômage depuis 90 jours ou plus ou moins de 50% du revenu médian de la zone auront la priorité.

Les candidats doivent également prouver qu’ils ont perdu des revenus, qu’ils ont été admis au chômage, qu’ils ont encouru des frais élevés, qu’ils ont connu des difficultés financières ou qu’ils risquent d’être expulsés en raison de la pandémie. Le comté encourage les propriétaires à promouvoir également le programme et à aider les locataires à postuler.

Les personnes intéressées peuvent postuler en ligne ou appeler le 211 Placer ou le 833-342-5211. Une fois la demande traitée, le propriétaire et le locataire seront informés de l'état de la demande et des prochaines étapes.

14 h 51 : Les villes frontalières américano-mexicaines luttent contre les problèmes économiques liés à la pandémie

Des restrictions sur les voyages non essentiels ont été mises en place il y a un an pour freiner la propagation du virus et ont été prolongées presque tous les mois depuis. Les petites entreprises, les résidents et les chambres de commerce locales affirment que le bilan financier a été élevé.

La vie a été perturbée dans des communautés où il est courant de faire des emplettes, de travailler et de dormir dans deux pays différents. Alors que de plus en plus de résidents américains sont vaccinés contre le COVID-19 et que les taux d'infection chutent à travers le pays, beaucoup espèrent que les restrictions seront bientôt assouplies.

11 h 24 : Sacramento City Unified, le syndicat des enseignants, parvient à un accord pour l'apprentissage en personne

Après de nombreux mois de négociations, le district scolaire unifié de la ville de Sacramento et l'Association des enseignants de la ville de Sacramento ont conclu un accord pour rouvrir et redémarrer les cours en personne le 8 avril.

Le nouvel accord comprend des changements au plan initial proposé par le district, comme le retour des étudiants plus âgés plus tôt que prévu.

Selon un communiqué de presse, les étudiants et les familles auront également la possibilité, en vertu du nouvel accord, de passer à un modèle d'enseignement hybride ou de rester dans l'enseignement à distance pour le reste de l'année scolaire.

Dans le cadre du plan annoncé précédemment, seulement 50% des élèves par capacité d'école suivront un apprentissage en personne. Les étudiants suivraient des cours en personne deux jours par semaine et feraient un apprentissage virtuel pendant les trois autres jours.

11 h 16 : De nouvelles écoles de Las Vegas rouvrent pour l’apprentissage «hybride»

Environ 27 000 élèves de 6e, 9e et 12e année devaient revenir lundi après plus d'un an d'apprentissage virtuel en raison de la pandémie de COVID-19. Le directeur de l'école, le Dr Jesús Jara, a déclaré que l'objectif était que tous les campus rouvrent en août.

Les enfants d'âge préscolaire jusqu'à la troisième année sont retournés à la classe Mach 1 avec un horaire «hybride» de deux jours par semaine. La prochaine vague de réouvertures est prévue le 6 avril pour les classes secondaires restantes sous le modèle hybride.

Les élèves du primaire se verront plutôt offrir un horaire de cinq jours par semaine.

11 h 13 : le programme UNLV prévoit le lancement en personne

L'Université du Nevada, à Las Vegas, change de cap et prévoit désormais des cérémonies de remise de diplômes de printemps en personne en mai alors que l'épidémie de coronavirus ralentit.

le président de l'UNLV, Keith Whitfield, a annoncé vendredi le changement de plans. À l'origine en février, la remise des diplômes devait avoir lieu virtuellement.

Whitefield a déclaré dans une lettre aux étudiants et au personnel qu'il croyait fermement que l'université «peut offrir une entrée traditionnelle tout en adhérant aux directives de santé publique».

«L’obtention du diplôme est le point culminant du parcours éducatif d’un étudiant et constitue une étape importante dans sa carrière UNLV», a écrit Whitfield. «Nous devons tout mettre en œuvre pour offrir une expérience que nos diplômés méritent si largement.»

Deux cérémonies sont prévues pour les diplômés du printemps 2021. Les deux auront lieu à 8 h le 14 mai et le 15 mai. Une troisième cérémonie pour les diplômés de 2020 aura lieu le 14 mai à 18 h 30. Chaque diplômé aura droit à jusqu'à quatre invités, et tout le monde doit suivre les directives de distanciation sociale et porter des couvre-chefs.

Dimanche 21 mars

15 h 05 : La Californie adopte une règle de distance de 3 pieds pour les salles de classe

Les étudiants des salles de classe californiennes peuvent s'asseoir à 3 pieds l'un de l'autre au lieu de 6 selon les nouvelles directives adoptées par l'État alors que les responsables de l'école découvrent comment rouvrir des campus fermés pendant un an pendant la pandémie de coronavirus.

Les recommandations de l'État annoncées samedi sont intervenues un jour après que les responsables fédéraux de la santé ont assoupli les directives de distanciation sociale pour les écoles du pays. Les Centers for Disease Control and Prevention des États-Unis conseillent au moins 3 pieds d'espace entre les bureaux dans la plupart des écoles.

Les dirigeants locaux auront le dernier mot sur la distanciation. Le Los Angeles Unified School District, le deuxième plus grand du pays, a déclaré qu'il s'en tiendrait à la règle des 6 pieds.

Samedi 20 mars

11 h 15 : Les Jeux Olympiques de Tokyo interdisent les spectateurs étrangers en raison des risques de COVID-19

Les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques de Tokyo de cet été se dérouleront sans spectateurs étrangers en raison des inquiétudes concernant le COVID-19.

Les organisateurs ont pris la décision lors d'une réunion virtuelle entre les différentes parties prenantes aujourd'hui.

Le Comité international olympique et le Comité international paralympique ont déclaré qu'ils respectaient pleinement et acceptaient cette décision

En savoir plus ici.

Vendredi 19 mars

17 h 37 : Le maire de Los Angeles dit que les vaccins par code postal auraient sauvé des vies

Garcetti a également déclaré vendredi que les gouvernements fédéral et des États n’avaient pas donné aux responsables locaux comme lui assez de liberté pour vacciner ceux qui, selon eux, étaient les plus à risque.

Garcetti et le gouverneur Gavin Newsom sont des collègues démocrates et des amis proches. Et bien que le maire n'ait pas nommé Newsom, ses commentaires sont en fin de compte une critique du gouverneur et de son approche initiale très restrictive pour vacciner les résidents en fonction de l'âge et de la profession.

Newsom a depuis pivoté et réservé 40% de toutes les doses aux habitants des régions les plus pauvres de l'État.

17 h 35 : Un allégement fédéral retarde l'allégement fiscal pour les entreprises californiennes

Le projet de loi fédéral sur l'allègement des coronavirus de 1,9 billion de dollars que le président Joe Biden a signé comprend une disposition interdisant aux États d'utiliser cet argent pour payer des réductions d'impôt.

Un projet de loi devant l'Assemblée législative de Californie exempterait certaines aides fédérales des impôts des États. L'administration du gouverneur Gavin Newsom craint que le gouvernement fédéral considère cela comme une réduction d'impôt.

17 h 20 : Le CDC dit que les écoles peuvent désormais espacer les élèves de 3 pieds au lieu de 6

Les Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indiquent que les écoles peuvent désormais espacer les élèves masqués de 3 pieds au lieu de 6 pieds.

NPR rapporte que les directives mises à jour, annoncées vendredi, exigent toujours une distance de 6 pieds entre les adultes et les étudiants, ainsi que dans les espaces communs, tels que les auditoriums, et lorsque les masques sont désactivés, comme en mangeant.

NPR note que le changement est capital car dans de nombreux endroits du pays, les directives de 6 pieds ont été interprétées comme obligeant les écoles à fonctionner selon des horaires à temps partiel ou hybrides pour réduire la taille des classes. Une règle de 3 pieds permettrait à plus d'écoles d'ouvrir en personne à temps plein.

La révision a été stimulée par de nouvelles recherches, y compris une étude de mars sur les écoles du Massachusetts, avec la possibilité de se distancer à 3 pieds ou 6 pieds. L'étude n'a trouvé aucune différence substantielle dans les cas.

16 h 42 : Le gouverneur Newsom prévoit des vaccins pour tout le monde dans 5 semaines et demie

Le gouverneur Gavin Newsom a déclaré vendredi qu'il s'attend à ce que l'État soit en mesure de rendre les vaccins disponibles à tout le monde en Californie dans les 5 semaines et demie.

«Nous prévoyons d'ici 5 semaines et demie où nous pourrons éliminer tous les niveaux, pour ainsi dire, et rendre les vaccins disponibles à tout le monde à travers le spectre, car l'offre augmentera de façon exponentielle», a déclaré Newsom lors d'une conférence de presse dans la région de la Baie.

Il a fait ces remarques en réponse à une question sur les comtés de Bay Area devant annuler les rendez-vous pour les vaccins en raison d'un manque de doses. Newsom a déclaré dans tout l'État qu'il y a une demande pour plus de vaccins et que «notre seule contrainte est l'offre de produits manufacturés».

«Dans quelques semaines, ces questions seront traitées de manière substantielle», a-t-il déclaré.

Actuellement, la Californie fait vacciner des groupes comprenant des enseignants, des employés des services d'urgence, des travailleurs de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture, des personnes de plus de 65 ans, des sans-abri et certains avec de graves problèmes de santé. Cependant, la disponibilité des rendez-vous dépendait de l'offre dans chaque comté.

La projection de 5 semaines et demie est juste en deçà du plan du président Joe Biden de rendre tous les Américains adultes éligibles au vaccin d'ici le 1er mai.

11 h 12 : Sacramento reçoit 20000 doses supplémentaires de vaccin COVID-19

Le comté de Sacramento a reçu un nombre constant de vaccins COVID-19 ces dernières semaines et jeudi, les responsables de la santé ont déclaré avoir reçu plus de 20000 doses de vaccins Pfizer Moderna et Johnson & Johnson.

Tout cela pourrait changer lorsque Blue Shield prendra en charge le déploiement des vaccins en Californie, car le géant de la santé fera des recommandations d'allocation hebdomadaire aux responsables de la santé de l'État. Mais l'agent de santé du comté, le Dr Olivia Kasirye, a déclaré qu'elle s'attend à ce que leur allocation reste la même.

«Nous avons entendu de leur part qu'il y a un engagement à faire en sorte que nous obtenions notre vaccin», a déclaré Kasirye. «Nous travaillons donc sur certains détails sur la manière dont ce partenariat va fonctionner.»

Elle a ajouté que le comté recevait en moyenne environ 15 000 nouvelles doses de vaccin par semaine et que le gouvernement fédéral promettant plus de vaccins à l'horizon, d'autres doses pourraient être en route.

9 h 59 : Le Nevada dépasse 1 million de doses de vaccin contre le coronavirus administrées

Jeudi, le gouverneur Steve Sisolak a déclaré que l'État avait atteint une étape importante dans ses efforts de vaccination, qui comprend les personnes qui n'ont reçu qu'un seul vaccin et celles qui ont reçu la deuxième dose requise pour certains vaccins.

Mercredi, 360 245 habitants ont été entièrement vaccinés, soit environ 12% de la population de l'État. Les nouveaux cas et décès signalés quotidiennement ont chuté récemment, car des vaccins ont été administrés à des groupes à haut risque, y compris les personnes âgées et les travailleurs de première ligne.

L'État se prépare à élargir l'admissibilité aux vaccins le 5 avril et à lever les restrictions dans les mois à venir.

9 h 51 : Zoos et scientifiques s'efforcent d'arrêter la transmission du COVID-19 d'humain à animal

Partout dans le monde, des scientifiques et des vétérinaires font la course pour protéger les animaux contre le coronavirus - en utilisant souvent le même manuel pour minimiser la propagation de la maladie chez les humains.

Lorsque Kiki le suricate du zoo de Sacramento s'est avéré avoir des symptômes des voies respiratoires supérieures, elle a été testée au début de la pandémie et a finalement été replacée avec son clan. Depuis lors, pour assurer la sécurité du zoo, les gardiens de zoo de Sacramento continuent à utiliser les mêmes protocoles de sécurité COVID-19 pour les humains et leurs animaux. Cependant, un autre zoo californien a dû faire face à des animaux infectés.

La toux parmi les gorilles des plaines de l'ouest au San Diego Zoo Safari Park plus tôt cette année a été le premier signe d'avertissement. Bientôt, les craintes ont été confirmées et une troupe de gorilles est devenue le premier singe connu à être testé positif au virus.

Karen, un orang-outan de 28 ans, est devenu le premier singe au monde à se faire vacciner contre le coronavirus le 26 janvier au zoo de San Diego. Le vaccin à deux doses de la société pharmaceutique vétérinaire Zoetis, basée au New Jersey, a développé le vaccin ciblé sur les animaux.

Depuis lors, neuf autres primates du zoo de San Diego ont été entièrement vaccinés et quatre autres animaux recevront leur premier vaccin ce mois-ci et termineront leur deuxième en avril.

L'épidémie était liée à un gardien de zoo asymptomatique, provoquant la maladie de plusieurs gorilles, et un dos argenté plus âgé a fini par développer une pneumonie. Les grands singes comme les gorilles partagent 98% de leur ADN avec les humains, ils sont donc particulièrement sensibles au coronavirus, ainsi que les chats sauvages, les chats et les chiens domestiques, les visons d'élevage et au moins un cas signalé chez un vison sauvage dans l'Utah.

Jeudi 18 mars

17 h 17 : Loaves & Fishes de Sacramento accueillera deux prochaines cliniques de vaccination pour les sans-abri

Le refuge pour sans-abri de Sacramento Loaves & Fishes accueille deux prochaines cliniques de vaccination COVID-19 pour les personnes en situation d'itinérance.

Les cliniques, hébergées en partenariat avec le service d'incendie de Sacramento, auront lieu le vendredi 19 mars et le vendredi 26 mars, tous deux à 19 h 30. au parking du Delany Center.

Le moment est venu, une clinique de vaccination se tiendra sur le campus cette semaine et l'an prochain. Info ci-dessous.

15 h 09 : Les cinémas Cinemark et AMC rouvrent en Californie

Les cinémas Cinemark et AMC devraient ouvrir presque tous leurs sites en Californie vendredi, maintenant que la grande majorité de l'État se trouve dans le niveau des coronavirus rouges.

À Cinemark, leurs salles sont fermées depuis environ trois mois, et sans beaucoup de nouveaux films à montrer en raison de la fermeture d'Hollywood pendant la pandémie, la chaîne comble le vide avec des classiques modernes comme "Thelma and Louise" et "A League Of their Propre."

«Nous avons l’auditorium et l’espace à l’écran pour ramener certains de ces films vraiment amusants en attendant un flux constant de nouveaux contenus convaincants», a déclaré Caitlin Piper, directrice principale des relations publiques de Cinemark.

Piper a également déclaré que la chaîne de cinémas avait institué de nouveaux protocoles de sécurité et de désinfection tels que la désinfection des auditoriums entre les séances, nécessitant des masques faciaux et limitant les capacités pour maximiser la distance physique.

Chaque salle de cinéma aura également un chef de nettoyage et de surveillance de la sécurité désigné en service.

«Le seul travail de cette personne est de s’assurer que les protocoles de santé et de sécurité sont mis en œuvre», a déclaré Piper.

Cinemark possède huit cinémas dans la région de Sacramento, mais ce n’est pas la seule chaîne de films à rouvrir ce vendredi - les cinémas AMC de toute la Californie ouvrent leurs portes pour accueillir de nouveau les invités.

D'ici lundi, AMC devrait ouvrir 52 des 54 sites californiens une fois que les approbations locales appropriées seront en place.

10 h 42 : Alors maintenant que je suis vacciné, que puis-je faire en toute sécurité? Les scientifiques disent de continuer à porter un masque.

Illustration AP / Peter Hamlin

Les personnes qui ont été vaccinées contre le COVID-19 peuvent à nouveau profiter de petits rassemblements mais devraient continuer à porter un masque et à se distancer en public.

les dernières directives des Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indiquent que les personnes entièrement vaccinées peuvent se rassembler sans masque avec d'autres personnes entièrement vaccinées à l'intérieur. Ils peuvent également rencontrer des personnes non vaccinées d'un ménage à la fois si les personnes non vaccinées sont considérées à faible risque de développer une maladie grave.

Une personne est considérée comme complètement vaccinée deux semaines après avoir reçu la dernière dose requise du vaccin COVID-19. Pour l'instant, les CDC découragent toujours les voyages inutiles pour les personnes vaccinées.

10 h 23 : les demandes de chômage aux États-Unis s'élèvent à 770 000, les licenciements toujours élevés

Le nombre d'Américains demandant des allocations de chômage est passé la semaine dernière à 770000 - un signe que les licenciements restent élevés, même si une grande partie de l'économie américaine se remet régulièrement de la récession des coronavirus.

le dernier rapport du ministère du Travail a montré que les demandes de chômage sont passées de 725 000 la semaine précédente à 770 000. Bien que les chiffres aient fortement chuté depuis les profondeurs de la récession au printemps dernier, ces chiffres montrent que les employeurs de certaines industries continuent de licencier des travailleurs.

Avant que la pandémie n'éclate, les demandes d'aide au chômage ne dépassaient jamais les 700 000 en une semaine. La moyenne des réclamations sur quatre semaines, qui atténue les variations hebdomadaires, est tombée à 746 000, le taux le plus bas depuis la fin novembre.

Mercredi 17 mars

18 h 13 : Le comté de Yuba reste dans le niveau violet le plus restrictif pour les cas de COVID

California health officials loosened restrictions yesterday on restaurants, gyms, and several other business sectors in 11 more counties. But others who anticipated moving into the red tier failed to meet the criteria.

Yuba County shares a health officer with Sutter County and also typically shares policies governing COVID-19. But while Sutter advanced to the red tier this week, Yuba remained in the most restrictive purple tier.

Rachel Rosenbaum is the public information officer for Yuba County. She says they were surprised not to meet the state’s new threshold of fewer than ten new daily cases per 100,000 residents.

“You look at the metrics, the numbers,” she said. “Really between Sutter County and Yuba County it’s just a matter of a couple of cases per day, obviously it makes a load of difference.

Rosenbaum hopes Yuba County will meet the criteria to join Sutter in the less restrictive red tier next week.

6 :11 p.m. : Tahoe leaders say the region has become too reliant on tourists

Tahoe economic leaders say the region has become too reliant on tourists who don't have enough respect for the area.

"We want our tourists to take care of Tahoe,” said Heidi Hill Drum, head of the Tahoe Prosperity Center. “We don't want them driving up and leaving their plastic sleds on the sledding hill, that happens all the time.

The Tahoe Prosperity Center is a nonprofit that works to develop the region's economy.

Hill Drum said her agency got a federal grant for more than $100,000 to come up with a Tahoe basin-wide economic resilience plan.

"We can't magically make a unicorn fix our economy, we have to look at our regional economy as it is now and figure out how to grow in the economic clusters that are not related to tourism," she said.

She says that could include building up the region's other industries, including health and wellness, environmental innovation, construction and green building.

6 :08 p.m. : UC Davis Health official is hopeful that St. Patrick’s Day will not trigger COVID-19 cases

It's St. Patrick's Day and now that Sacramento was placed back in the red tier yesterday restaurants and bars have been authorized to reopen with capacity limits.

Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, says people who go out to celebrate today might trigger additional COVID-19 cases

“But what I'm hoping is that most people, who are having those kind of risky behaviors, that they've been doing this all along and maybe that pool of people have already been infected,” he said. “So I'm hopeful that going forward that these kind of holidays and gatherings won't lead to the surges that we've seen in the past.”

He says right now, the number of patients admitted with COVID to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento is way down, and so is the number of patients on ventilators in the intensive care unit.

3 :00 p.m. : Nevada announcing revised vaccine timeline

The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths continues to be far fewer in the state than in the prior months when Nevada experienced a surge. Roughly 360,000 Nevadans have been fully vaccinated, which is about 11.8% of their total population.

President Joe Biden announced plans last week to make all Americans 18 and older eligible for vaccines within two months. Governors throughout the U.S. are now working to ensure their vaccine plans will allow all adults in their states to be eligible by May 1.

2 :52 p.m. : How well do COVID-19 vaccines protect after an organ transplant? Studies are mixed.

A new study is raising questions about how well the COVID-19 vaccines protect organ transplant recipients.

organ transplant recipients have to take powerful immune-suppressing drugs to prevent organ rejection, but that may lower vaccine effectiveness.

Johns Hopkins University researchers tested about 400 transplant recipients a few weeks after their first vaccine dose and found just 17% had antibodies against the virus. Most people with strong immune systems start building protection right away.

Researchers hope the second dose works better for transplant recipients, but they should ask their doctors when it’s safe to relax virus precautions after vaccination until more is known.

2 :48 p.m. : IRS delaying filing due date to mid-May

The IRS will delay the traditional April 15 tax filing due date until May 17 to cope with added duties and provide Americans more flexibility.

the decision was announced on Wednesday, and the IRS said it would provide further guidance in the coming days. The move offers more breathing room for taxpayers and IRS employees alike to cope with changes brought on by the pandemic.

The decision postpones when individual taxpayers must file their return and when their payment is due. The IRS said taxpayers who owe money would not face any further penalties or interest if they pay by May 17.

10 :16 a.m. : Disneyland, Disney California Adventure reopening end of April

Disneyland announced Wednesday that both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will reopen on April 30 with limited capacity.

Under current state guidelines, only California residents can attend the parks. All visitors ages 3 and older will require a reservation. Events that draw large group gatherings, such as parades, will not resume immediately.

Around 10,000 people will go back to work once reopened. The parks in Southern California closed on March 14, 2020, due to the, at the time, still-nascent coronavirus pandemic.

10 :15 a.m. : Family of formerly incarcerated person sues state corrections over his coronavirus-related death

The family of a 61-year-old Californian who was incarcerated in state prison when he contracted COVID-19 has died, and now his family is suing state corrections officials.

the family blames a botched transfer of infected people to San Quentin State Prison, killing 28 plus a correctional officer last year.

His family’s attorneys said it’s the first such federal civil rights lawsuit stemming from officials’ decision to transfer 122 people from the California Institute for Men near Los Angeles to the prison north of San Francisco in late May.

A class-action lawsuit is pending in Marin County Superior Court on behalf of other COVID-infected people who are incarcerated at San Quentin, in what state officials have acknowledged was a disastrous transfer.

9 :58 a.m. : State parks so popular during pandemic, parking lots are filled to capacity

While California state park officials are pleased that residents are getting outdoors during the pandemic, increased interest in trails, wildflowers and waterfalls doesn’t mean additional park resources.

While many of California’s 280 state parks have plenty of room for social distance, some have become too popular for parking lots, facilities and trails. One of those impacted parks? McArthur Burney Falls.

Located an hour north of Redding, its 129-foot waterfall and short hikes have made it popular for visits from across the state and beyond, according to the Northern Buttes District Superintendent Matt Teague.

“Expect delays if you go to the highly demanded parks where we’re seeing the increases in visitation that expect traffic,” Teague said. “Expect delays and, in some cases, like McArthur Burney Falls. There could be a chance where if you visit on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, that you may not be able to get into the park.”

While statewide numbers were not available and will be complicated by pandemic closures, in 2020 Burney Falls saw record day-use attendance. With just over 322,000 guests, visitation was up nearly 55% over 2019.

This year could shatter that record. In January, the park saw 12,500 guests, more than triple the average number of guests for that month.

Teague said park visitors should do their research and seek out less crowded parks or to try and visit during off-peak hours.

Tuesday, March 16

5 :30 p.m. : Organization recorded nearly 4,000 hate incidents against Asian and Pacific Islanders over the past year

An organization tracking anti-Asian harassment and violence across the country says it recorded nearly 4,000 hate incidents against Asian and Pacific Islanders over the past year.

The new data from Stop AAPI Hate includes reports of over 500 new incidents reported in just the first two months of this year.

An analysis of the data showed the majority of incidents were verbal harassments, followed by shunning or avoidance. Physical assaults made up a little over 10% of reported experiences.

It also found that women were more than twice as likely to report hate incidents than men, and showed incidents were most likely to take place in local businesses.

Earlier this month, Sacramento passed a resolution condemning the uptick in crimes against Asian Americans, including a recent incident at a Chinese-owned butcher shop in South Sacramento.

5 :24 p.m. : Nearly 90% of Californians can now dine indoors, go to the gym

California health authorities approved more counties to reopen businesses thanks to low coronavirus case rates.

around 87% of California’s nearly 40 million residents can enjoy a restaurant meal indoors, watch a movie at a theater and sweat it out inside a gym. Sacramento and San Diego counties join Los Angeles and Orange counties that were authorized to reopen on Sunday.

San Jaoquin And Yuba counties were expected to move to the red tier, but did not meet the state's case threshold to loosen restrictions.

The San Francisco Bay Area county of San Mateo can reopen even more, including bowling alleys, cardrooms, wineries and breweries at 25% capacity indoors.

Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push for schools to resume in-class instruction. It’s been a year since California shut down businesses in response to the pandemic.

5 :16 p.m. : Newest Nevada vaccine-eligible group can self-identify illnesses, health conditions

A state statistics official said on Tuesday that as eligibility broadened this week in the statewide coronavirus inoculation process, deaths from COVID-19 have fallen to an average of about four per day.

That number peaked at 40 deaths per day in mid-January. Officials widened vaccination efforts to people with underlying conditions, disabilities and the unhoused at retail pharmacies, including those in supermarkets.

This next phase is being called a step towards getting more shots in more arms statewide.

11 :19 a.m. : Alcatraz reopens for indoor tours after yearlong closure

Touring inside the infamous prison has been off-limits for more than a year due to the pandemic. Face masks and social distancing are still required on the island, which once housed Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

Access will be limited to visitors who sign up for the audio tour in advance. Officials say Alcatraz will host about 1,000 tourists a day instead of the usual 5,000. The popular tourist destination had already reopened for an outdoor-only experience in August.

10 :55 a.m. : Indoor business capacity increases to 50% in Nevada as COVID-19 cases decline

As customer capacity increased to 50% at casinos, businesses and restaurants, Nevada health officials are beginning to give back to counties oversight of coronavirus prevention measures.

the state’s COVID-19 Response Task Force has planned to meet with groups of county managers, emergency care, public health and elected officials on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday about the state handing over pandemic authority by May 1.

Taskforce chief Caleb Cage said the Nevada Hospital Association reported some of the lowest COVID-19 hospitalizations since the first known death from COVID-19 in Nevada was reported a year ago.

Monday, March 15

6 :30 p.m. : Gov. Newsom launches campaign to defend himself from recall effort

Governor Gavin Newsom is launching a campaign to defend himself from a recall effort. It comes as opponents say they’ve collected more than enough signatures to force an election.

For months, Newsom has refused to acknowledge the recall, saying he’s focused on the pandemic.

Now, he’s painting the recall as a partisan power grab driven by extremists and vowing to fight it.

California Democrats are closing ranks around Newsom while national Democratic figures including Senator Bernie Sanders and Georgia organizer Stacey Abrams have slammed the recall.

county election officials have until the end of April to verify them.

3 :32 p.m. : Many US prison guards skipping COVID-19 vaccinations

Corrections officers are refusing coronavirus vaccines at alarming rates, causing some public health experts to worry about the prospect of controlling the pandemic both inside and outside of prison.

infection rates in these facilities are more than four times as high as in the general public. Prison staff helped accelerate outbreaks by refusing to wear masks, downplaying symptoms and haphazardly enforcing social distancing and hygiene protocols in confined, poorly ventilated spaces ripe for viral spread.

“Hell no.”

A California statewide survey showed that half of all correction employees will wait to be vaccinated.

At FCI Mendota, a medium-security federal prison near Fresno, officials closed off the main employee entrance in January, funneled employees through the visiting room, turned into a vaccination clinic and forced them on the spot to decide whether or not to get vaccinated. Employees that refused weren’t allowed to go to their posts without getting the vaccine or signing a declaration form.

The local corrections officers’ union president refused the vaccine, citing medical issues and that he doesn’t trust the prison officials’ motives.

3 :28 p.m. : First case of UK COVID-19 variant identified in Reno, Nevada

The first case of the COVID-19 variant originally identified in the United Kingdom has been confirmed in northern Nevada. Health officials are trying to determine if the infection linked to a large gathering in Washoe County may have spread the variant to others.

The new case confirmed in Washoe County, which includes Reno and Sparks, involves a woman in her 30s, whose infection is linked to a gathering of more than 60 people from different states. Seventeen additional COVID-19 cases have also been connected to the same event.

Still, not all of those who tested positive are from Washoe County, and it’s not yet confirmed if all the positive cases are from the U.K. variant.

Health officials in Nevada reported an additional 222 COVID-19 cases and one more death on Sunday.

the latest figures raised the state’s pandemic totals to 299,287 cases and 5,118 known deaths. Authorities say 161 of the new cases were reported in Clark County, which includes metro Las Vegas.

Officials believe the number of infections could be far higher than reported because many people have still not been tested, especially since the virus can make people asymptomatically ill.

10 :15 a.m. : California expands vaccine eligibility to include health conditions like cancer, diabetes and obesity

Starting this Monday, Californians ages 16-64 with certain health conditions like cancer and obesity will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. But physicians say it'll be challenging to immunize everyone on that list with the still limited supply.

Officials estimate these conditions cover a total of 4 to 6 million newly eligible people.

Emmy Gilbert / CapRadio

Experts say this change will vastly expand eligibility in California, particularly in communities of color.

UC Merced public health researcher Denise Payan said obesity rates are higher in Black and Brown communities, and the pandemic has likely made it worse.

“Access to healthy, fresh, healthy, nutritious food has really been disrupted,” Payan said. “So there are more people who are at risk and are missing out and don’t have access to healthy food.”

Some hospital systems say they don't have enough vaccines to give to the newly eligible patients. Still, people with chronic health conditions can contact their doctors or their local public health departments to determine whether doses are available and to potentially make an appointment.

10 :07 a.m. : Bay Area lawmakers call for changes to state vaccine distribution plan

A group of 20 Bay Area lawmakers is calling for changes to the state's vaccine distribution plan, claiming that the current version leaves out vulnerable Californians in their districts.

The state recently announced it would direct more vaccines to underserved ZIP codes, but few are in the Bay Area. San Francisco Assemblyman David Chiu argues that the current plan ignores smaller pockets of vulnerable people.

"We are experiencing tremendous inequality," Chiu said. "Wealthy communities are in the same ZIP code as incredibly vulnerable communities, and this vaccination distribution formula doesn't account for that reality."

But Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said that he still stands by the original plan.

hospitalizations and deaths — have been shouldered by those communities," Ghaly said.

He's also hopeful that an increase in vaccine supply from the federal government will address the Bay Area lawmakers' concerns.

Sunday, March 14

2 :27 p.m. : Placer County moves to red tier, effective Sunday

Placer County is one of 13 California counties that have moved Sunday to the red tier of California’s COVID-19 reopening framework, loosening some restrictions.

Under the red tier, restaurants and movie theaters will be able to reopen indoors at 25% capacity, while gyms can reopen indoors at 10% capacity. Museums may also resume indoor operations at 25% capacity.

The counties became eligible to move from the purple tier (“widespread”) to the red tier (“substantial” spread) after the state hit its goal Friday of delivering 2 million COVID-19 doses to communities hit hardest by the pandemic, triggering new thresholds.

State health officials set the 2 million-dose goal last week when they announced California would tie reopening requirements to vaccine equity.

The plan changed the threshold for counties to enter the red tier from seven cases per 100,000 residents to 10 cases once the 2 million doses were delivered.

San Joaquin

2 :02 p.m. : California governor admits mistakes, says recall unjustified

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has made mistakes in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But he insists the recall effort against him has more to do with politics than the public health crisis.

Newsom made his most direct comments yet about the push to unseat him during an interview with KQED. He said his opponents are taking aim at his broader policy agenda, which tackles issues such as immigration and criminal justice reform.

Newsom conceded that the state could have done a better job communicating to the public as virus restrictions changed. Recall organizers say they have collected enough signatures to force an election.

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Saturday, March 13

4 :17 p.m. : LA County hospitalizations at lowest point in 4 months

Coronavirus hospitalizations in California’s most populous county have slipped below 1,000 for the first in four months.

The number of patients with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County hospitals hit 979, the lowest since Nov. 23.

There are 3,250 people hospitalized statewide, a drop of more than 85% since peaking around 22,000 in early January.

Case rates also remain low and much of the state is preparing for some restrictions to be lifted in the coming days.

State officials announced Friday that 13 counties would be eligible to open restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and museums at limited capacity on Sunday.

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Friday, March 12

3 :22 p.m. : Sacramento County and city set to receive $420 million from federal aid package

Both the city and county of Sacramento are slated to receive hundreds of millions of dollars each from the federal COVID-19 relief funding after President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

The money comes almost a year to the day that Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the state’s first stay-at-home order, triggering the tidal wave of shuttering businesses, closing schools, and other economic issues that left millions of residents unemployed.

The amount some U.S. residents have gotten from federal stimulus packages, including the ones signed by President Donald Trump in March 2020, has totaled up to $3,200 per person, split over three checks.

California is expected to receive $26 billion in aid, while local governments will get a combined $16.6 billion, depending on formulas that will take population and socio-economic issues into account.

In this round of federal funding, the city of Sacramento is expected to receive $121 million in assistance, while Sacramento County should receive roughly $300 million.

3 :18 p.m. : California continues to lose jobs, but lifting restrictions may change that

California lost close to 70,000 jobs in January, but new numbers released Friday by the state’s Employment Development Department show that the unemployment rate declined slightly to 9%.

that’s mainly because the state’s labor force continues to shrink as more people stop looking for work. The biggest losses were for restaurants and hotels that have been hit hardest by public health orders.

The numbers released on Friday were based on surveys taken the week of Jan. 12. The number of new COVID-19 cases has declined since then, and the state is starting to lift restrictions, possibly boosting job numbers.

3 :04 p.m. : Biden is speeding up vaccine timeline, but governors say they need supplies

Governors across the country are applauding President Joe Biden’s declaration that all adults should be eligible for coronavirus vaccinations by May 1, but the goal will require a shift for states that have been methodical in how they roll out the shots.

in states like Florida and Colorado

California officials haven’t set a timeline for when the general public will be eligible for a shot and didn’t immediately say how Biden’s declaration would change plans in the nation’s most populous state. Instead, the state is prioritizing older adults, teachers and people in vulnerable neighborhoods.

While the state says it can vaccinate 3 million people per week, it is only receiving half that total each week. Plans are to ramp up weekly shots to 4 million people, but so far are only available for certain groups like those 65 and older, educators, farmworkers, and emergency service workers.

Starting Monday, an estimated 4.4 million people with disabilities and certain health conditions will also become eligible.

11 :28 a.m. : California public schools are on the path to reopening soon for in-person learning

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said COVID-shuttered California schools are still on a path to reopening next month.

" Thurmond said.

This vaccination rate is considered a key number to begin the process of phasing children back to school.

"There's probably about 300,000 teachers total in the state, but that number doesn't include all school staff like classified staff, custodians … but the number of 200,000 was a key number that everyone was striving to get," Thurmond said.

Many schools are now scrambling to meet the state's reopening goal by April 1, while others plan to reopen by mid-April. The Legislature recently passed a plan with $2.6 billion in incentives for schools to reopen by April 1.

Thurmond said, by and large, students have struggled with distance learning, partly because teachers weren't adequately trained for this teaching format, and many students also don't have home computers.

Thurmond said he's working on building a robust summer school program as state lawmakers appear certain to approve funding to hire more school staff.

10 :30 a.m. : San Joaquin County sees notable drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations

For the first time in months, San Joaquin County hospitals have seen a significant drop in hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients and intensive care, signaling a major step forward for the county to potentially advance to the red tier.

On Dec. 22, hospitals in the county saw 1,212 cases in a single day. Now, the most recent one-day total was 96 cases. At one point, the county saw its ICU capacity jump to 175%.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped by 12% just this week, signaling hope for the county. Emergency Medical Services Specialist Marissa Matta said the dropping ICU capacity brings the county closer to the state's mandate.

"So, on Tuesday, March 9th, ICU capacity in San Joaquin County was at 95%, and this is the first time since November 18th of 2020 that the ICU capacity in our county was below 100%," Matta said.

San Joaquin County Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park said the county's infection rate of 11 cases per 100,000 is still high, keeping the county in the purple tier. Park said despite this, there's been meaningful progress in other areas.

"We actually have testing positivity rates in the orange this week," Park said. "We are meeting a lower tier compared to our case rates. You can earn that red, you can move one, so we have the possibility of going red next week."

Park also mentioned that the county's vaccination efforts are making strides, with over 166,000 residents vaccinated so far.

10 :18 a.m. : California State Insurance Commissioners calls for higher auto insurance reimbursements

During the pandemic some people drove less as schedules shifted from what they were before the pandemic, so State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara says he’s going to insist on auto insurance companies reimbursing California drivers for premium overcharges during the pandemic.

While insurance companies agreed to give money back as residents drove less and got into fewer accidents, Lara said customers only got a fraction of what they should have received.

“Injury and damage claims both fell by more than 40% from March to September compared to before the pandemic,” Lara said. “Over the same time, insurance company groups returned on average 9% of premiums when they should have refunded nearly double that amount.”

Lara also said only four of the top 10 insurance companies in the state continued to offer premium rebates to drivers after December of last year, despite the continued reduction in miles traveled, crashes and injuries.

Thursday, March 11

6 :16 p.m : Breweries, wineries, distilleries get approval to reopen outdoors

Breweries, wineries and distilleries that don't serve food can reopen outdoors in counties in the two most-restrictive tiers in California's COVID-19 reopening system, according to new guidance released by state health officials Thursday.

Under the new rules, starting March 13 these businesses can serve customers outdoors until 8 p.m. with a 90-minute time limit per customer. Previously, breweries, wineries and distilleries were closed in the purple and red tiers.

In the orange tier, indoor capacity is limited to 100 people or 25%, whichever is fewer. In the yellow tier to 200 people or 50%.

Bars will remain closed in the purple and red tiers. In the orange tier, bars can reopen outdoors with modifications. In the yellow tier, indoor capacity is limited to 100 people or 25%.

3 :41 p.m. : California grocery store workers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines across state

The California Grocers Association, an industry trade association, said that grocery workers across the state and every county are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

While some counties have been quicker than others about getting vaccines to supermarket workers, CGA CEO Ron Fong said, “We wish there was a more unified system, but the reality is that it is not.”

According to Fong, in some areas of the state food workers got shots three or four weeks ago, but in Sacramento county these workers became eligible just this week.

Large grocery chains with pharmacies may be vaccinating in-house, while others are setting up appointments through hospital systems or directly with public health officials.

“We have advised workers to be proactive and not wait for the county to call you,” Fong said.

The CGA expects all their employees to have at least their first shot within the next 30 days.

3 :32 p.m. : Will the coronavirus ever go away? Scientists say probably not.

AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin

Nobody knows for sure how the coronavirus will behave for the long term, but experts say it may be with us for decades or longer.

many scientists believe it’s likely the disease will eventually become a nuisance like the common cold. That would happen as people build up immunity over time, either through infection or vaccination.

However

Correction : A previous version of this post incorrectly stated what would increase immunity over time. The factors are infection or vaccination.

3 :23 p.m. : Shasta County receives first shipment of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Shasta County Public Health officials say that they’ve received their first shipment of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

The county now has 1,400 doses and plans to reserve them for residents facing barriers to get to vaccination clinics. County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Ramstrom said the county has yet to use any of the doses as it finalizes its plan to distribute them to people who would benefit the most.

” Ramstrom said. “We’ve talked about using it for mobile clinics once we are able to do that.

Shasta County expects to get its next shipment of Johnson & Johnson vaccines at the end of the month.

11 :34 a.m. : North Sacramento clinic faces COVID-19 vaccine shortage

While state and county officials say they want to speed up the vaccination of underserved communities, one North Sacramento clinic that primarily serves people of color can't seem to get enough doses.

Since the clinic opened to serve the Black, Brown and Asian residents living in North Sacramento, the Del Paso Vaccination Clinic at Grant High School has grown from 60 to 600 doses administered weekly.

Dr. Kawanna Carter has spearheaded the clinic, and said they've been expanding service to a community hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic. However, that growth has recently halted because their data wasn't loaded properly by the supervising doctor securing the doses.

"In my opinion, the right approach would be to say 'we're not getting your data, how can we help you?'," Carter said.

She says they built a demand for the vaccine from the ground up in a community that needs help by taking steps to tighten up the operation and find new ways to get shots directly allocated to the clinic.

"You know, we've given the information that is required, and hopefully, the next step is getting a direct supply of our own vaccine," Carter said.

Sacramento County officials say that "underserved communities continue to be a priority," so they've paired Del Paso Vaccination Clinic with another provider, WellSpace Health, to boost the clinic's supply.

But with 2,500 people on the waitlist at the clinic, Dr. Carter said that the new partnership hasn't resulted in a new batch of doses.

10 :51 a.m. : Poll shows 1 in 5 Americans have lost someone to COVID-19

Despite this, the public’s worry about the virus is dropping, even as some people still in mourning express their frustration at the continued struggle to stay safe. While the various coronavirus vaccines offer hope for ending the pandemic, about 1 in 3 Americans don’t intend to get one.

Those most reluctant against the shots? Younger adults, people without college degrees and Republicans.

10 :23 a.m. : President Joe Biden signs $1.9 trillion stimulus package before speech to nation

Biden says the package will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health. He had been set to sign the American Rescue Plan on Friday, but the White House moved the signing up to Thursday afternoon, hours before the president plans to deliver his first prime-time address to the American public.

Today marks the first anniversary of the pandemic. Chief of Staff Ron Klain tweeted that the bill arrived at the White House late Wednesday, quicker than anticipated. Klain wrote, “We want to move as fast as possible.”

Wednesday, March 10

5 :27 p.m. : Gov. Newsom says state will reach its goal to vaccinate 2 million in lower income communities

Less than a week after announcing a new equity goal to vaccinate 2 million Californians in lower income communities, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state is just about there.

While California has administered more than 10 million vaccines, only 18% have gone to residents in lower income communities.

Part of the equity goal includes loosening restrictions for counties to move into the less stringent red tier of the state’s reopening plan. About 80% of the state is still under the most-restrictive purple tier, but Newsom said that should change as soon as next week.

3 :05 p.m. : Biden Administration’s nearly $2 trillion plan passes final hurdle

House lawmakers Wednesday gave final approval to President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, sending the legislation to Biden’s desk for his signature, according to NPR. Biden plans to sign it this Friday.

The House vote split on partisan lines at 220-211, with no Republican support despite calls for bipartisan support from Democratic leaders. Only one Democrat, Rep. Jarden Golden, voted against the bill.

extended unemployment benefitsS.

2 :26 p.m. : Students of Sacramento-area community colleges can expect more online classes this fall

Even though coronavirus cases are declining as more people get vaccinated, it still looks like students at Sacramento-area community colleges will continue to take most classes online this fall.

Los Rios Community College District Associate Vice Chancellor of Strategy and Communications Gabe Ross says they’re planning to bring back more in-person classes this fall compared to this spring semester, but it’ll be substantially fewer than pre-pandemic levels because of the continued uncertainty.

“As long as there’s social distancing guidelines or requirements in place, it does hamper our ability to do on-ground instruction,” Ross said.

The school’s first priority is bringing back career-education programs.

“Things that are really dependent on facilities, right? Welding programs, auto-tech,” Ross said. “Programs that really lead to a lot of good jobs for our students but that there’s just no way to replicate in a digital or online environment.”

Schedules for the fall semester will be posted online next month, and classes are scheduled to start in late August.

2 :09 p.m. : Does California have 'one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates' in the nation? Not exactly.

During Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State address on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, he had a strong statement about California’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“California’s death rate has remained one of the lowest per capita in the nation : 134 deaths per 100,000, compared to 158 nationally, 153 in Texas,” he said during his state address.

However, that’s not exactly correct. The governor’s claim is an exaggeration. California does have a slightly better rate than the nation and somewhat better than Texas, but California’s rate is only middle of the pack.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state is 23rd lowest out of 50 states. Some individual counties such as Los Angeles and Imperial continue to have a much higher death rate than the nation’s average.

Newsom made more comments about California’s efforts to stem the virus.

“We were the first to launch mass-vaccination sites in partnership with FEMA,” he said.

and the other at Cal State Los Angeles. A third planned FEMA site for the Central Valley has yet to open.

Newsom also said that the state has “the most robust vaccination program in the country.” When looking at raw numbers, California has administered 11 million doses, more than any other state and most countries.

However, when it comes down to vaccine rollout, California has been one of the slowest states, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracking website.

11 :26 a.m. : Gov. Gavin Newsom sees 'light at the end of the tunnel' in State of the State speech

California Gov. Gavin Newsom struck an optimistic tone in his State of the State address on Tuesday night.

His speech primarily focused on the state's pandemic response and the progress made since last March.

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Newsom delivered the address at an empty Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, since it’s one of the state’s largest mass vaccination sites. In the speech, he hinted that California could return to a sense of normalcy soon.

"Today, the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever," he said.

He also touched on economic inequality, housing and education. While Newsom alluded to the mounting campaign to remove him from office, he never uttered the word "recall."

10 :29 a.m. : Clinic volunteers get their shot at a COVID-19 vaccine

As states ramp up inoculation efforts, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in to keep the vaccination sites running smoothly.

many people who don’t yet qualify for a vaccine have been volunteering in hopes of getting a dose they otherwise may not receive for months. Large vaccination clinics across the U.S. have been thousands trying to nab the limited numbers of volunteer shifts in hopes of getting a shot sooner.

California launched its own vaccine volunteer program last week, though state officials say a volunteer shift won't guarantee a vaccine dose. Interested volunteers can sign up here.

That’s raised questions at a time when supplies are limited and Americans have struggled to get vaccinated even if they’re eligible, but medical ethicists say volunteers are a vital part of the public health effort.

Hasting Center Bioethicist Nancy Berlinger said that since volunteers interact with the public, there’s nothing wrong with them wanting protection. Clinic volunteers also go through training and other obligations.

“There would be easier ways to game the system,” Berlinger said. “If that was really your goal, this could take more work, I think, than some other routes I can think of.”

10 :27 a.m. : COVID-19 vaccinations for agricultural workers tied up in many states

Many U.S. health centers that service agricultural workers across the nation receive COVID-19 vaccines directly from the federal government in a program created by the Biden administration.

farmworkers are not yet in the priority groups authorized to receive the shots in some states. The federal vaccine came with a restriction : the health centers must follow state priorities, which troubles farmworkers and activists, including in California.

Farmworkers run an elevated risk of getting infected because of their work conditions. Purdue University estimates that 9,000 agricultural workers in the country have died of COVID-19, and nearly a half-million have been infected, with the highest numbers in Texas, California, Iowa, and others.

Tuesday, March 9

2 :30 p.m. : Butte County moves to less restrictive coronavirus tier

Butte County has qualified to move from the most stringent purple tier to the less-restrictive red tier of the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan.

Moving into the second-highest tier allows some businesses to reopen at a reduced capacity, and with the latest announcement from Gov. Gavin Newsom, certain youth and adult recreation sports can resume with modification.

The tier change will happen at midnight this Wednesday. For a county to move down to the red tier, there should be a case rate of 4-7 per 100,000 residents with a 5-8% test positivity rate. According to a county press release, the case rate is 7.3 per 100,000 residents, with a 3.6% positive rate. Those limits will change to 10 cases per 100,000 after the state provides 4 million vaccine doses to areas hardest-hit by the virus, based on rules released last week tying reopening to vaccine equity.

While the county might be moving into a less restrictive tier, recently, it was detected that the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the U.K. was detected recently in Butte County.

Butte County residents interested in seeing what businesses can now reopen can check out the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Business owners can also get some industry guidance on the modifications and mitigation measures in place to stop the viral spread.

Residents interested in youth or adult sports can also go online to see the latest guidelines on what outdoor and indoor sports are allowed, along with what safety precautions will be in place.

2 :11 p.m. : Meadowview residents can expect vaccine clinic pop-up this Friday

South Sacramento has been a COVID-19 hotspot since the start of the pandemic, and with disproportionate case rates, the neighborhoods within the area haven’t received equitable vaccine doses.

With the latest promise from Gov. Gavin Newsom about allocating 40% of available vaccine doses to underserved communities, a pop-up vaccine clinic is coming to Meadowview.

South Sacramento testing site coordinator Bobby Dalton Roy said he hopes the single-day clinic can become a long-term solution for the neighborhood.

“The best practice needs to be that resources and testing and the vaccine needs to be put in the zip codes or proximate to the zip codes where families are being impacted most severely by the pandemic,” Roy said.

details are still forthcoming on how eligible residents can sign up.

1 :57 p.m. : Nevada state university system will offer in-person classes in fall semester

The announcement came Monday after the university said enrollment dropped below 20,000 this semester and most classes have been offered remotely because of the pandemic. University President Brian Sandoval said the university also expects to host more students in residence halls and dining hall, continue student activities, expand support services, allow fans at athletic events, and hold live performances.

UNLV spokesperson Tony Allen said the Las Vegas campus is also planning to offer most of its classes in-person while also providing on-campus facilities and services.

10 :24 a.m. : Santa Clara County won’t join Blue Shield’s vaccination plan

However, Blue Shield says 41 health centers, 28 hospitals, four large medical groups, three pharmacies, and three tribal clinics have already signed on.

10 :13 a.m. : Gov. Gavin Newsom will deliver State of the State address tonight

The stadium has been transformed into one of the country's largest coronavirus vaccination sites. A Newsom spokesperson said the stadium was chosen for the speech because it embodies California's spirit of service.

Newsom's third State of the State is scheduled for today at 6 p.m. It comes as the Democratic governor faces a likely recall election later this year, fueled by anger over his handling of the pandemic. On Monday, Newsom said he plans to use the speech to highlight the quiet heroes of the pandemic.

9 :48 a.m. : Nevada governor bets on safety as states reopen

One year into the pandemic, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is still attempting to strike the right balance between keeping the state's tourism industry afloat while also containing the coronavirus' spread.

Sisolak said in an interview with the news agency that he plans to use Nevada's safety protocols as a selling point to bring back tourists, conventions and trade shows back to Las Vegas.

About one in 10 state residents, including the governor, have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic last year. More than 5,000 people have died, 63% of whom have been 70 or older.

Sisolak hopes vaccines will prevent future loss, contain the virus and bolster the economy back to pre-pandemic levels.

Monday, March 8

3 :54 p.m. : Two COVID-19 vaccination clinics will open in Sacramento this week

At least two new COVID-19 vaccination sites will open this week in Sacramento, targeting some of the city’s hardest-hit communities.

Latino residents in California have borne the brunt of the pandemic. While they’ve had higher COVID-19 case and death rates compared to others, Latinos haven’t received a proportionate amount of vaccine doses.

The Consulate General of Mexico is also taking appointments for all eligible Mexican nationals in its 24-county jurisdiction, regardless of immigration or health insurance status. The new clinics open as California begins to push for more equitable vaccine distribution.

Both locations are open by appointment and are only for people 65 and over, educators, or childcare workers. For appointments at the Consulate General of Mexico, interested parties can call (916) 329-3502. Those interested in the Oak Park clinic can call (916) 349-6980.

3 :47 p.m. : Young students in San Francisco may return to school April 12

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the agreement was announced late Friday after months of debate over how and when kids would return to in-person instruction as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations decline statewide.

The students that might return to in-person school are primarily preschool through fifth grade. It’s still unclear how many of the district’s 52,000 students will return before the term ends June 2. The school board still needs to vote on the deal.

3 :33 p.m. : CDC says fully vaccinated people can meet in-person without masks

The CDC has issued new guidance for vaccinated people, basically giving them the thumbs-up to resume some pre-pandemic activities and relax precautions that have been in place.

Specifically fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks or social distancing. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have gotten their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine (or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine).

Vaccinated people can also gather, unmasked, with people from another household who are not yet fully vaccinated, as long as the unvaccinated household is at a low risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

However, experts still stress that vaccinated people should continue to wear a mask when in public, avoid crowds, and continue other precautions around unvaccinated people who are at a high risk of severe illness or death.

The CDC said this is a “first step” to returning to everyday activities. There’s evidence showing that fully vaccinated people are less likely to become infected and “potentially” less likely to spread the virus to others.

12 :12 p.m. : COVID-19 variant first identified in UK found in Butte County

Butte County Public Health has detected a case of the more contagious COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom.

Case investigation and contact tracing efforts are underway for the variant also known as B117. The infected patient is an adult.

While the strain was first detected in the U.K. it has spread to over 200 counties in the United States. As of March 4, 250 cases of this mutation have been reported in California.

“Detection of a variant that spreads more easily is a reminder that even though case rates are declining in Butte County, we must maintain our vigilance and continue using protective measures again [the] coronavirus until most of the population has immunity,” Butte County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Bernstein said. “We cannot let our guard down.”

There’s no indication that the available vaccines or treatments are less effective against this mutation, but there is evidence that the disease may be more severe when infected. County health officials recommend that residents continue to practice wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hygiene.

11 :58 a.m. : American River Parkway annual membership grows due to pandemic

While COVID-19 has decimated some businesses and shuttered most public venues, outdoor spaces like the American River Parkway are enjoying a pandemic boom.

Guests can walk or bike through 29 miles along the American River and it often attracts people of all ages, from older adults walking their dogs, cyclists zipping down the trail to people looking to get their steps in for the day.

"The Parkway has been, as I say, the only game in town," Poggetto said, "The Parkway itself, the American River Parkway, can not close down."

During the pandemic's early days, the parkway may have seemed too crowded for some residents, but Poggetto said she hopes the increased use continues.

"It's for people to come out," she said. "It's for that mental health break."

11 :52 a.m. : More Sacramento-area residents are interested in starting new businesses

A Sacramento-area business support center said it's seen an uptick in the number of residents interested in starting new businesses.

Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce President Amanda Blackwood noted that they’ve helped local business owners navigate loan applications to stay afloat during most of the pandemic. Now, the phone calls are getting more optimistic.

“There is a shift, to ‘I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and now I’m going to start strategically planning for that,’ instead of being in a state of basic stabilization and triage,” Blackwood said.

She attributed some of this to more COVID-19 vaccinations and said people are asking for advice on how to start consulting businesses like marketing or accounting. Business owners and entrepreneurs can get advice from the Chamber’s Capital Region Small Business Development Center for free.

Saturday, March 6

3 :30 p.m. : California counties don't want Blue Shield's vaccine program

Counties across California are increasingly asking to opt out of the state’s centralized vaccination program run by Blue Shield.

The Los Angeles Times reports that none of the state's 58 counties have signed contracts with the insurance giant even as California moves ahead plans to bring 10 counties under Blue Shield oversight beginning this week.

The state is in the process of switching over to a vaccine appointment and delivery system run by Blue Shield, intended to ensure doses are distributed equitably and reach low-income communities.

But some county leaders call the system too bureaucratic and don't want Blue Shield's oversight.

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3 :20 p.m. : Senate passes $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package

The Senate approved President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan on Saturday, according to NPR.

The package secures new aid for American families, workers and businesses, including $1,400 direct payments, an extension of supplemental unemployment benefits and an increase to the child tax credit.

Individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 would receive the full direct payments of $1,400 per person. But those payments would phase out for individuals and couples who make more than $80,000 and $160,000, respectively.

En savoir plus ici.

Friday, March 5

4 :48 p.m. : Gov. Newsom signs bill incentivizing schools to reopen

One day after passing the state Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday morning signed into law a bill motivating more California schools to reopen classrooms for in-person instruction.

"Let's just get this thing signed and let's get these $6.6 billion.. we didn't wait for the federal government, we're moving forward," Newsom said.

The new law sets aside $2 billion the state will distribute among schools districts if they offer in-person instruction by the end of this month. Sacramento-area Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty was at Friday's virtual bill signing ceremony.

"I'm counting on my school district to step up and do what's right,” McCarty said. “We know we have some challenges, like in others across the state who aren't quite there yet, but it's right to do what's right for our kids."

The new law also includes more than $4 billion to pay for things like tutoring and summer school to address learning loss. Some Republicans are critical of the plan saying it's too weak and would be better if it forced districts to reopen.

3 :19 p.m. : California will soon reopen outdoor stadiums, theme parks at limited capacity

Californians may soon be able to return to outdoor ballparks, stadiums and theme parks as soon as next month under new guidelines announced Friday by state health officials.

Starting April 1, the new rules would allow outdoor sports and live performances to resume and amusement parks to reopen. They will all have limitations based on the county’s tier, and all attendees must be masked.

For counties in the purple tier, sports and performances will be limited to 100 people. Attendees must have a reservation and be from the surrounding region. That increases to 20% capacity for the red tier, 33% in the orange tier, and 67% in the yellow tier. Even in the less-restrictive tiers, attendees are restricted to in-state visitors.

Amusement parks will function under different capacity limits. They can reopen once a county reaches the red tier, but only at a 15% capacity. That increases to 25% in the orange tier and 35% in the yellow. Only in-state visitors are allowed.

Though the state’s travel advisory is still in place, encouraging people to stay within 120 miles of their homes, it is a rule that state health officials admit will be tricky to enforce.

2 :50 p.m. : Study shows masks save lives, outdoor dining increases COVID-19 cases, deaths

The agency's director said the study shows decreases in cases and deaths when people wear masks.

Inversely, it found increases in cases and deaths when in-person restaurant dining is allowed. The study was released just as some states are rescinding mask mandates and restaurant limits.

The research also builds on smaller CDC studies, including one that found that people in 10 states who became infected in July were more likely to have dined at a restaurant. Another found that mask mandates in 10 states were associated with reductions in hospitalizations.

Reopening restaurant dining was not followed by a considerable increase in cases and deaths in the first 40 days after restrictions were lifted. However, soon after, there would be increases of about 1 percentage point in the growth rate of cases, and later 2 to 3 percentage points in the growth rate of deaths.

10 :28 a.m. : Parents of color feel unheard with the speed of school reopenings

225 deaths are Latinos or Latinas.

This leaves some parents feeling like their voices haven’t been heard when it comes to school reopenings, drowned out by the louder voices of white and wealthier parents. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, white Americans are more likely to support a quick return to classrooms, while the majority of Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans say teachers should be vaccinated first.

The survey showed that 80% of Black respondents said schools should wait until teachers who want to be vaccinated can be, while only 51% of white respondents said the same. The divide also exists among economic lines. By a two-to-one margin, lower-income people would prefer teachers to be vaccinated, while middle- and upper-income Americans are more closely divided.

8 :47 a.m. : Some teacher vaccinations go untracked in race to mass inoculate

As the U.S. prioritizes teachers nationwide for coronavirus vaccines, states and many districts are not keeping track of how many school employees have received the shots.

while vaccines are not required for educators to return to school buildings, the absence of data complicates efforts to address parents’ concerns about health risk levels. Some teachers unions are also calling for widespread vaccination as a school reopening condition.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest in California, lets teachers register for vaccine appointments offered by the school system through an app designed with Microsoft. But district spokesperson Shannon Huber said the district is not tracking who has gotten vaccinated.

A reopening date for Los Angeles schools is still undetermined and depends in part on all school staff being offered vaccines, a demand of the district’s teachers union.

8 :40 a.m. : US economy adds nearly 380,000 jobs

U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 379,000 jobs last month, a sign that the economy may be strengthening as virus cases drop, vaccinations ramp up, and Americans spend more.

the February gain marked a pickup from the 166

The unemployment rate fell 6.2%, the Labor Department said Friday in its monthly jobs report. About 4 million people who have lost jobs have stopped looking for work, so they’re not classified as unemployed. According to Oxford Economics, if they were included, along with a separate group that’s misclassified as working, the unemployment rate would actually be 9.3%.

Still, economists are increasingly optimistic that hiring will speed up, and Americans will once again travel, shop, go to the movies, and more.

Thursday, March 4

6 :47 p.m. : State lawmakers approve $2 billion incentive for schools to reopen

State lawmakers signed off on a $2 billion plan to incentivize more schools to reopen classrooms. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the measure.

The bill offers grants to school districts that bring high-needs and younger students back to class this spring. And the sooner they do it, the more money they get.

It doesn’t force districts to open, though, and many Republicans argued that it should.

The measure also includes more than $4 billion to pay for things like tutoring and summer school to address learning loss.

It’s unclear how much the incentive package will factor into districts’ reopening plans. Schools won’t turn down the money. But thanks to declining coronavirus infections, many districts that remained closed through the fall were already finalizing agreements with their teachers unions before Newsom announced the deal earlier this week.

4 :15 p.m. : Indoor youth sports can resume in California

The settlement means indoor youth sports can return in counties where there are 14 or fewer new coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people. Athletes and coaches would be tested before a competition in most cases.

Details of the settlement agreement were confirmed by attorneys who represented the students in the lawsuit. California public health officials did not confirm the settlement, but Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the state would issue new guidance soon.

3 :52 p.m. : When will nursing homes reopen to visitors? State officials won’t say

As California works through vaccinating hundreds of thousands of long-term care residents and workers, family members are now pressing administrators and state health officials to finally reopen nursing homes for indoor visits.

Nearly 465,000 residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living centers, and board and care homes have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. New coronavirus cases in the state’s skilled nursing facilities plummeted from 725 on Dec. to just 16 on Feb. 27, after vaccinations started. That’s a 98% decline in case rates.

Despite this, federal and state officials haven’t figured out how to move past the current guidelines that essentially ban in-room visits unless a resident is close to death. Most of the state’s nursing homes won’t open up for visitation until state public health officials give the OK, but the state public health agency is waiting for their O.K. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2 :19 p.m. : Unemployment goes up despite drop in COVID-19 infections

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.

a Thursday report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims rose by 9,000 from the previous week. Though the pace of layoffs has eased since the year began, they remain high by historical standards.

Before the virus flattened the U.S. economy a year ago, applications for unemployment aid had never topped 700,000 in any week, even during the Great Recession. All told, 4.3 million Americans are receiving traditional state unemployment benefits.

10 :29 a.m. : California to tie county reopenings to vaccination equity rate

The state will send the vaccines to neighborhoods in the bottom 25% of its Healthy Places Index, which assesses Census tracts based on measures related to health and socio-economic conditions. Many of these areas are in more impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

As more Californians get their COVID-19 shots, officials say they will tie loosening restrictions to vaccination equity goals in these communities. For example, when 2 million residents in those neighborhoods are vaccinated, the state will loosen requirements for its color-tier system. The threshold for entering the red tier will move from seven cases per 100,000 to 10 cases.

9 :46 a.m. : When can kids get COVID-19 vaccines? A study on teens has already started.

AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin

When children can get any of the COVID-19 vaccines will depend on their age, but some teenagers could start rolling up their sleeves before long.

the Pfizer vaccine is already cleared for use starting at age 16, meaning some high schoolers could get their shots whenever they become eligible in their area. Pfizer and Moderna expect to release study data on children ages 12 and older over the summer.

Plans to start studies in children 11 and younger will begin later this year. Moderna’s vaccine is currently only cleared for use for people 18 and older.

9 :45 a.m. : Vaccine appointments bypass some older adults

Thousands of older Americans are spending hours online or enlisting their grandchildren’s help to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine, and they are the fortunate ones.

an untold number of older people across the country are getting left behind in the desperate dash for shots because they are too frail, overwhelmed, isolated or poor to navigate a system that favors healthier individuals with more resources.

The urgency of reaching this vulnerable population is growing as more and more Americans in other age groups slowly become eligible. Nonprofits, churches and health care outreach workers are scrambling to reach the forgotten older people who are falling through the cracks before the nation’s focus moves on and the competition for vaccines stiffens.

Wednesday, March 3

5 :53 p.m. : San Joaquin County allows outdoor sports to open up

San Joaquin County’s COVID-19 case rate of 11.6 fell to below 14 cases per 100,000 residents, allowing football and a few other outdoor sports to return.

The guidance from the California Department of Public Health applies to all youth programs, including school-based, club, and recreational programs in the county.

Compliance includes that face coverings be worn when not participating in the activity. Coaches, support staff and observers must wear face coverings to be worn at all times. There must also be informed consent and testing when adjusted case rates are between 7-14 per 100,000.

5 :37 p.m. : LA County could loosen virus restrictions later this month

Health officials say Los Angeles County could move into the next phase of reopening with fewer restrictions as early as next week, though any actual lifting of coronavirus-related constraints would not happen immediately.

With 10 million residents, the county has recorded more than 1.9 million COVID-19 cases during the pandemic. It is currently in the most restrictive purple tier of California's reopening system because of widespread transmission. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says she expects the county to move into the less-restrictive tier as early as next week.

The tiers are based on test positivity and adjusted case rate figures. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he'd like to add vaccination rates.

5 :32 p.m. : Vaccine access rapidly expands across the country

Cities and states are rapidly expanding access to vaccines as the nation races to head off a resurgence in coronavirus infections and reopen schools and businesses battered by the pandemic.

The efforts come as the federal government ramps up shipments, with President Joe Biden saying the U.S. should have enough shots for all adults by the end of May. It also comes as more states are lifting restrictions like mask-wearing and reopening businesses despite warnings from health officials that it's too risky.

Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and other states say teachers will get the first doses of the new one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Detroit is starting to vaccinate factory workers. And some states are vaccinating anyone 55 or older.

5 :25 p.m. : Federal stimulus bill shrinks check eligibility

This is a concession to party moderates, and it comes as leaders prepare to move their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill through the Senate. Simultaneously, the White House and top Democrats are standing by progressives and say the Senate package will retain the $400 weekly emergency unemployment benefits included in the House-passed pandemic legislation.

The moves reflect a balancing act facing Biden and Democratic leaders as they try squeezing the massive relief bill through the evenly divided Senate, where they need the support of every single Democratic senator to pass basic bills.

5 :23 p.m. : Las Vegas Sands sells Venetian casino due to pandemic changes

Las Vegas Sands is selling the iconic Venetian casino resort and its Sands Expo and Convention center for $6.25 billion, withdrawing from gambling operations on the Las Vegas Strip after the changing nature of the casino business there, and just about everywhere else.

Despite this, the company led by Sheldon Adelson until his death this year will effectively cease U.S. operations. Under Adelson, the company’s focus turned to Asia years ago, where revenue eventually outpaced even the operations on the Last Vegas Strip.

5 :20 p.m. : Nonprofits in financial trouble due to pandemic

More than one-third of U.S. nonprofits are in jeopardy of closing within two years because of the financial harm inflicted by the pandemic.

a soon-to-be-released study by the philanthropy research group Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy underscores the perils for nonprofits and charities whose financial needs have escalated over the past year.

Even with the excess of donations that many nonprofits and charities received from individuals and foundations, it’s still not enough to stay solvent. The researchers analyzed how roughly 300,000 nonprofits would fare under 20 scenarios of varying severity.

The worst-case scenario led to the closings of 38% of nonprofits. Even the scenarios seen as more realistic resulted in closures well into double-digit percentages.

Arts and entertainment nonprofits are the most at danger. The most vulnerable nonprofits may try to reduce costs this year by narrowing their focus or by furloughing workers. Some nonprofits may have to turn to mergers to bolster their finances, but several would still vanish even if those particular nonprofits survive.

11 :59 a.m. : Sacramento County expanding COVID-19 drive-thru access at McClellan Park

Sacramento County officials are expanding access to a drive-thru COVID-19 mass vaccination center at McClellan Park.

“We were able to open it last week,” County spokesperson Janna Hayes said. “The first, we limited access to only 65-plus residents. This week, we opened the opportunity to educators and childcare providers as well.”

The site operated by test manufacturing company Curative is open Monday through Friday. Hayes said that the county hopes to vaccinate around 350 people each day.

Older adults and educators working in Sacramento County will now have access to a mass vaccination site, allowing people with an appointment to get vaccinated with the Pfizer shot without leaving their car.

“You get your shot sitting in your car, then you go sit in a 15-minute observation waiting area to make sure you don’t have any immediate adverse reaction to the vaccine,” Hayes said.

Residents interested in the McClellan Park vaccinations, can sign up online here.

11 :56 a.m. : California vaccinations most often going to rich over at-risk

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says a commitment to equity drives his administration's centralized approach to vaccinating residents.

Community health centers in California care for more than 7 million mostly low-income people whom Newsom and others say they want to reach. The centers are often in areas with higher concentrations of poverty and fewer providers who accept Medicaid.

Dr. Efrain Talamantes is the chief operating officer for AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. He says his patients and staff are often an afterthought despite the emphasis on equity from the state.

11 :47 a.m. : Nevada to let some sports games, sports competitions to resume

This follows other moves to let indoor and outdoor game practices and competitions to resume with social distancing and other requirements. On Tuesday, the governor said he followed medical advisors in also classifying ice hockey as a full-contact sport and field hockey as a minimal-contact sport.

basketball, boxing, dance and cheer, and martial arts.

Tuesday, March 2

6 :05 p.m. : Steep decline in child-abuse related ER visits and hospitalizations during the pandemic

Natural disasters typically result in an uptick in child abuse, but a new study published today suggests this pandemic appears to be an exception.

Instead of going up, over the first few months of the pandemic, UCSF researchers found a steep decline in the number of ER visits and hospital admissions.

which tracked child abuse at 52 children’s hospitals nationwide.

Lead researcher Dr. Suni Kaiser says it doesn’t appear to be underreporting. She says  government interventions may be having a positive impact.

“Some of the policies like the CARES act and protection of eviction that were in place pretty early in the pandemic perhaps shielded families from some of the stresses that we’ve seen in prior events,” Kaiser said.

Another possible explanation : parents working from home meant fewer caregivers were home alone with small children.

4 :11 p.m. : El Dorado County moves to red tier

El Dorado County will soon be able to restart indoor dining and other businesses at reduced capacity after moving to the less restrictive red tier in California's COVID-19 reopening system Tuesday, according to state health officials.

With the move, restaurants and movie theaters will be able to reopen indoors at 25% capacity, while gyms can reopen indoors at 10% capacity. Museums may also resume indoor operations at 25% capacity.

Bars and breweries must remain closed, while wineries will still be limited to outdoor service.

In addition to El Dorado, moving to the red tier Tuesday are Lassen, Modoc, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties. Sacramento health officials say the county could potentially move to the red tier in mid to late March. Yolo County joined the red tier last month.

3 :09 p.m. : City of San Francisco leaders cheer over reopening

Much of California’s population remains in the most restrictive reopening phase, with Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties still limited to outdoor dining. San Francisco’s mayor urged residents to wear their masks while enjoying the city.

Her Tuesday announcement came as Gov. Gavin Newsom continued to press educators to return to the classroom as more vaccines are administ

12 :49 p.m. : Texas lifts mask mandate

Texas is lifting a COVID-19 mask mandate that was imposed last summer but has only been lightly enforced.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s Tuesday announcement makes Texas the largest state to do away with a face-covering order. The new rule takes effect on March 10.

The decision comes as governors across the U.S. have eased coronavirus restrictions, despite warnings from health experts that the outbreak is far from over.

Texas has seen a sharp plunge in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. More than 42,000 people have died from the virus in Texas, which translates to 148 deaths per 100,000, placing Texas 25th among the 50 states.

10 :01 a.m. : San Francisco plans to reopen indoor dining, gyms, soon

San Francisco is poised to allow indoor dining, movie teachers and gyms with reduced capacity, as the most recent coronavirus surge continues to decline.

it's expected that the county will join several other counties on Tuesday in moving to the less restrictive red tier — down from their current level, the purple tier. More of California's economy is opening back up for business throughout the state as more residents are vaccinated.

Several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area issued a strict-stay-at-home order nearly a year ago, in advance of a statewide shutdown. Public health officials in the Bay Area, for the most part, have been more cautious than peers in Southern California and other states about reopening the economy.

9 :47 a.m. : Asian Americans reflect on anti-Asian attacks a year into pandemic

Instances of verbal harassment and physical assaults have occurred from coast to coast. Now, just over a year and thousands of incidents later, some of the earliest victims find moving forward has been difficult, or, at best, bittersweet.

A recent wave of attacks on older Asian Americans has reignited attention and fueled worries that hostilities have only worsened. They include the death last month of an 84-year-old San Francisco man. More than 3,000 incidents have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a California-based reporting center, since March 2020.

9 :45 a.m. : COVID-19-based fear fuels attacks on health care workers globally

A recent report by the Geneva-based Insecurity Insight and the University of California, Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, has identified more than 1,000 threats or acts of violence against health care workers and facilities last year.

the report says about 400 of those attacks were linked to the coronavirus, underscoring the dangers surrounding health care workers at a time when they’re needed most. Researchers saw the most attacks last spring and summer as the virus swept across the globe.

Many attacks may have gone undetected because they’re never reported to the police or media. In the U.S. researchers counted about a dozen threats to health care workers just last year. Several incidents involved the injury or arrest of street medics during Black Lives Matter protests.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospital employees in the U.S. are nearly six times as likely as the average worker to be a victim of an intentional injury. Last month, a Minnesota medical assistant was killed during a clinic shooting by a former patient unhappy with his treatment.

Monday, March 1

5 :30 p.m. : Tax filers facing unemployment fraud should request corrected forms, says IRS

With six weeks to go until tax day, many people are looking at the forms and discovering someone else got unemployment benefits using their identity and they owe federal taxes on that income.

The form that would show that is called a 1099-G. IRS spokesman David Tucker says you should get in touch with the state right away and request a corrected 1099-G. And don’t worry if you don’t get it before the April 15 tax deadline.

“If for some reason they’re finding challenges in terms of being able to receive that corrected form on a timely basis, what they should do is still file an accurate federal tax return and report only the income that they actually received,” Tucker said.

The state will automatically update the IRS with a corrected form, but you should keep an eye for your copy of that form when it arrives. Tucker says it, like all tax documents, should be kept for at least seven years.

3 :25 p.m. : California reaches deal to get children back to in-person learning

Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders struck a deal on Monday to encourage schools to reopen for California’s youngest students by April.

Once a county moves into the red tier of the state’s COVID-19 reopening system, counties will have to bring students through sixth grade back to classes to receive money. Districts that have already reopened can access the $2 billion to continue operating safely.

3 :05 p.m. : Nevada expecting shipment of Johnson & Johnson vaccines

Nevada expects to get 24,000 doses of the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week, but state officials have not yet detailed whether the single-shot vaccine will be targeted for use in any particular community.

some health officials around the U.S. have deliberated prioritizing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in mobile clinics or for homeless shelters or other communities where it can be harder to ensure someone returns weeks later for a second shot.

Nevada health officials said they are waiting for more guidance from a federal advisory group. The state has seen reports of new cases and hospitalizations drop since mid-January.

2 :57 p.m. : San Diego Comic-Con virtual this year again due to pandemic

Comic-Con announced Monday that the annual pop-culture confab will be virtual again for a second-straight year, running on July 23-25.

The in-person experience was canceled again due to coronavirus-related cautions around large gatherings. Organizers said postponements and other challenges caused by the pandemic left them with limited financial resources.

As a result, the virtual convention in July was reduced from four to three days. The smaller in-person event in the works will be in San Diego in November.

12 :16 p.m. : California’s MyTurn vaccine appointment website may not be accessible to those without broadband

Public Policy Institute of California research associate Joe Hayes says that lack of proper access to the internet could lead to Californians not getting signed for their vaccination.

“Statewide, 20% of seniors don’t have access to broadband at home,” Hayes said. “By demographics, for instance, access we found is lower among Latino seniors. And in rural areas, it’s 30% that lack access to broadband at home.”

Correction : A previous version of this post had an incorrect phone number. It has been corrected.

12 :09 p.m. : States continue to open despite WHO saying it is ‘unrealistic’ COVID-19 will end soon

With the U.S. vaccination drive picking up speed and a third formula on the way, states are eager to reopen for business, despite warnings from health experts that the outbreak is far from over.

experts have also said that moving too quickly to reopen could prolong the pandemic’s misery. The push to reopen comes as nearly 20% of the nation’s adults have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 10% fully inoculated. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urgently warning state officials and ordinary Americans not to let their guard down.

Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergency chief, says that it’s “premature” and “unrealistic” to think that the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year. However, he said that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death.

Ryan said that the world’s focus right now should be to keep the COVID-19 transmission as low as possible. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was “regrettable” that younger and healthier people in rich countries are being vaccinated before at-risk health workers in the developing world. He warned against complacency, noting a recent increase in cases.

11 :50 a.m. : Sacramento Regional Transit offers free rides to vaccine appointments

Starting on Monday, if you have a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you can get a free ride on Sacramento Regional Transit buses and light rail trains.

The transit agency is offering free rides for people getting their coronavirus shots for the next three months, but SacRT Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations Jessica Gonzalez said that the program might be extended past the end of May if there’s a need.

“To ride for free, customers just need to show their COVID-19 vaccine appointment confirmation,” Gonzalez said. The proof could be something like an email, a text, or even a vaccine card.

“So you can either print that out or show that right there on your smartphone, and that will serve as valid fare on the date of your appointment,” Gonzalez said.

Their free rides will last through June.